by Gordon Hamilton

Created on: October 08, 2009   Last Updated: June 10, 2011

The most important factor when considering the best way to roast a turkey is the safety aspect. It is imperative that the turkey be properly prepared for the oven and that it be cooked for the correct length of time if you are to ensure it is safe to eat. Turkey is exactly the same as chicken and most other fowl in that it must never be eaten in any way under-cooked.

Fresh turkey should be stored in the refrigerator after purchase but removed at least three hours before beginning cooking and allowed to reach room temperature. Frozen turkey should be defrosted in the refrigerator per the packaging guidelines and allowed to reach room temperature in a similar sense prior to cooking. The giblets - which are likely to be in the body cavity - should be removed and discarded at this stage, unless they are to be used for stock or gravy. The turkey should then be washed under running water and patted dry with a clean dish towel.

The oven should be switched on to preheat while the final preparations are made to the turkey, to an initial 425F/220C/Gas Mark 7. This is simply to get the turkey up to an initial high heat before the heat is reduced to 325F/170C/Gas Mark 3 after around half an hour, for the remainder of the cooking time.

The roasting tray upon which the turkey is to be cooked should be covered in aluminum foil, one sheet lengthwise and one sheet across the way, of sufficient length that the two sheets may subsequently be folded up and over the bird to loosely seal it in a foil package. The turkey should then be stuffed, prior to sitting it on the tray. There are theories that the neck only of the bird should be stuffed, as stuffing in the main cavity can soak up uncooked juices and cause food poisoning. This, however, is likely to happen only where the turkey or the stuffing has not been allowed to reach room temperature prior to going in to the oven. This is also what the initial high cooking time is partly designed to avoid. The turkey should be weighed after it is stuffed to determine the full cooking time required.

The turkey should then be rubbed all over its exposed areas with three to four ounces of butter. There is no better way of doing this than by hand but if you prefer, the butter can be gently melted in a saucepan and then a basting brush can be used to complete the job. It is optional at this stage to cover the breast of the bird with some slices of bacon. This can help protect it during cooking and keep it moist.

The turkey should then be wrapped

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